Foodie Friday – Sourdough Starter

This week I have been making a sourdough starter.  Next week I hope to be able to share my homemade bread with y’all, but for now the starter isn’t ready.

 

Sourdough refers to he process of leavening bread by capturing wild yeast  in a dough or batter, as opposed to using a domestic, purpose-cultured yeast. Sourdough starters are maintained over long periods of time. The Boudin Bakery in San Francisco for example, has used the same starter dough for over 150 years. You can learn more about why sourdough starters are good for you here.

 

The recipe that I’m using comes from Candy’s blog.

INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat flour, or spelt flour

Spring water

HOW TO MAKE IT

Many recipes make it so complicated, but it is really quite easy. Don't make things harder than they have to be. Make that your motto. ;-)

DAY ONE - In a very clean container, which is NOT metal, mix together one cup of wheat or spelt flour, with one cup of spring water. Cover the container with a clean cloth, or double cheesecloth. Secure the cloth on with a rubber band. Set the container in a warm section of the kitchen, and leave it alone until tomorrow. Keep it away from plants, chemicals, and contaminants.

DAY TWO - Mix the batter, and add another cup of flour and spring water. Cover and set it back in its warm area.

DAYS THREE - SEVEN - Every day, mix the batter, and add another cup of water and flour.

NOTE - Around days 2-5, you may find that your starter batter starts to smell strange. Unless you see furry mold, don't worry about it. I've personally noticed that when a starter is "half-way started," it makes a somewhat unpleasant smell. By day 7, it should have a sour, or beer-like smell to it.

DAY EIGHT - Make some bread. You'll have a LOT of starter, so you can experiment with a few different recipes, and not have to worry about running out of starter.

To enjoy more Foodie Friday Recipes visit Designs by Gollum.